Pope Leo mourns victims in Middle East, prays for peace

Pope Leo XIV is following events in the Middle East with concern and has expressed “profound sorrow for all the victims of the bombings” in the region, according to Vatican News.

Pope Leo said that those killed included “many innocents, including many children”, as well as “those who were helping them, such as Father Pierre El-Rahi”, a Maronite priest killed in an Israeli attack on Lebanon’s Qlayaa on Monday.

The pope “prays that every hostility may cease as soon as possible”, the report said.

El-Rahi was killed by Israeli tank fire after he rushed to help a local family whose home had come under Israeli fire.